Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mangaf

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangaf: $1,058 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Mangaf
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Mangaf Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mangaf

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mangaf

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Mangaf actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,058 in Mangaf.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mangaf $1,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,337 in Mangaf.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mangaf $1,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,616 in Mangaf.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mangaf $1,616

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 152% more expensive than in Mangaf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mangaf is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.46 KWD 1.99

221.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$63.5 KWD 19.57

33.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.32 KWD 1.95

94.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 KWD 1.51

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.71 KWD 1.45

19.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.30 KWD 0.09

1140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 KWD 0.10

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 KWD 0.48

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.52 KWD 0.47

146.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.95 KWD 0.60

67.18%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.03 KWD 0.63

105.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.47 KWD 1.38

188.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.84 KWD 2.11

107.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.14 KWD 3.12

59.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.48 KWD 0.76

74.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.82 KWD 0.56

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.79 KWD 0.55

151.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.47 KWD 0.45

195.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.31 KWD 0.40

96.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.49 KWD 0.46

57.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.33 KWD 0.72

-23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.46 KWD 0.14

382.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.67 KWD 0.82

270.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.86 KWD 1.50

-43.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-47.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.22 KWD 5.00

117.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.35 KWD 0.11

171.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.9K KWD 6,452

72.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.1K KWD 6,207

34.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$65.4 KWD 20.16

249.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$22.22 KWD 6.85

167.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$29.65 KWD 9.13

135.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.90 KWD 15.06

17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.21 KWD 3.45

27.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$296 KWD 91.3

408.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,239 KWD 2,846

132.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$38.09 KWD 11.74

38.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.80 KWD 12.26

10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$96.8 KWD 29.83

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$87.3 KWD 26.90

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$243 KWD 74.8

685.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$416 KWD 128

205.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.53

3.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mangaf: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mangaf

$416 39.4% 67.3% $858

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mangaf

$185 17.5% 54.4% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mangaf

$117 11.1% 67.3% $241

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mangaf

$130 12.3% 63.4% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mangaf

$118 11.2% 7.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mangaf

$71 6.7% 16.9% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mangaf

$21 * 2% 64.8% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $243 in Mangaf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $64.0 in Mangaf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $185 per month, with Mangaf cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇼 Mangaf

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

39,025

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

KWD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mangaf 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mangaf

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Mangaf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mangaf wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mangaf the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,586 in Mangaf to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $243 in Mangaf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $296 in Mangaf. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mangaf – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,058 in Mangaf versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mangaf but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mangaf the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Mangaf are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mangaf gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.